A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of dining at Spoon and Stable in Minneapolis. On all accounts, it was a fantastic experience. To start, the decor is absolutely beautiful. The skylights and large windows add to the lovely bright atmosphere. It is warm and cozy, a perfect mix of modern industrial meets farmhouse. Fitting, since the space was formally a stable. The colors consist of natural pallatte of whites and creams, dark woods, and interesting textures.

Enough with the BEAUTIFUL BREATHTAKING design of Spoon & Stable. Lets move on to the equally wonderful food and beverages.

We spent a majority of our week in Minneapolis close to Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet. Never in my life have I seen so many wild flowers, not to mention monarch butterflies and bees!! (I haven't seen one monarch butterfly this year in Nashville!) The other thing that was quite notable, was how easy it is to be active around there. There are bike rentals in addition to lake rentals with paddle boarding, kayaking, sail-boating, canoeing, etc. The trails are super easy to access and they all connect. People of all ages and sizes visit the lakes for an opportunity to be active, and thats what is so great about Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun.

The other common thread between our favorite spots, was the commitment to locally sourced goods and ingredients. Many of the restaurants served things they've grown themselves from rooftop gardens, or as you'll read below, their own 100-acre farm!

The area around Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis, make up my favorite place on Earth. Here are some highlights from our trip and also part of my campaign to get Chris to think about moving back to Minneapolis some day...